Supersonic wind tunnel



4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 9, 1952 j mumauua mohouam uwflww hmzE INVENTOR mumzmmu EVERARD A. BONNEY BY wag WWNEYS y 1954 E. A. BONNEY SUPERSONIC WIND TUNNEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1952 w N o N 0 n e n o h M 2 Ow On A TTURNI EU y 8, 1954 E. A. BONNEY SUPERSONIC WIND TUNNEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 9, 1952 u 000- Oh z hquwhmwk 20:05 2. wEmmqm m: MO him-u! m0 205801021 I k 0; I w u E! 8 SBHONl-NOIMES BEIVHOS d0 HLOIM m. h o n IN\;ENTOR EVERARD .4. BOA/IVE) BY CQ/Bm ATTORIGEYS y 1954 E. A. BONNEY 2,678,560

I SUPERSONIC WIND TUNNEL Filed Oct. 9, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 w- Lb Sec FIG. Z

ll-MACH NUMBER FIG. 6.

INVENTOR EVERARD A. BONNEY BY .ig m" ATTORNEYS I) o o SBHONP-NOLLOBS 1831 BHVDOS .-I0 HlG M Patented May 18, 1954 N lTEjD STATES PAT EN T OFFICE 2,678,560 'sUPERsoNio WIND TUNNEL "Everard A.Bonney, Silver S'Dring, Md., assignor ;to the United States of America as represented bythesccretary of the Navy 'AppIicatiOn October 9, 1952, Serial No."313,959

7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to wind tunnels, and particularly-to pressure ejectors for extending the Mach numbers'of fix'ed supersonic wind tunnels.

It is one of the principal objects of this inven-v tion to provide a pressure ejector arrangement for extending the Mach range of a supersonic wind tunnel facility, of given maximum pressure and mass flow.

Anotherobjectof the invention is to provide an improved supersonic wind tunnel which utilizes a continuous supply of high-pressure air at the inlet, and multiple-stage ejector-difiusers at the exit to improve the overall pressure ratio and corresponding Mach number attainable. H

Other-objects and many of the attendant advantages ofbthis inven-tion will bemo're readily appreciatedas the same'becomes understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, and in which:

Fig. l is aschematic diagramofa pressure ejector supersonic wind tunnel embodying the features (if the invention;

Fig. 2 is acurvecf diffuser efliciency versus Mach number;

Fig.3 is a curve of overallpressure ratio using one diffuser versus Mach number;

Fig. 4 shows curves of pressure after recovery in the diffuser versus Mach number;

a Fig. 5 shows curves for obtaining dimensions of a square tunnel for an air'fiow of 10.5 lbs. per secondat 105 p. s. i. g.;

Fig. 6 shows curves of dimensionsofa wind tunnel and mass ratio versus Mach numbers and Fig. 7 shows acurve for backtpressure versus mass flow. t

In accordance with the inventiony'a pressure ej ector supersonic-windatunnel provided which utilizes a continuous supply of high. pressure air at the inlet and multiple stage ejector diifusers at the exit to improve the overallzpressure ratio and to extend the Mach range of thewind tunnel.

In anefiort to determine what pressure ratios could be obtained by use of pressure ejectors, considerable research and studyhasabeen made of the available literature. From this study, it was apparent that it both theoretical and experi mental dataon vthissubject -are-nearly nonexistent. t

However, it has'been pointed out that a pres- 2 straight induction 'type of wind "tunnel with atmospheric pressure atthe supply and exit ends. These figures are in reasonable agreement with results obtained by others wherein the exhaust from one burner was used as an ejector to reduce the exit pressure of a test burner, as shown in Fig. 7. Therefore, for lack of more definite data, the above figures were used for the development of the present invention.

It has been ascertained that it might be possible to place several "ejectors (each with a diffuser) in series as a multi-stage ejection system, thereby reducing thepressure after the recovery diffuser still further and making it possible to test at still higher Mach numbers. This arrangement has been incorporatedinthe development of thisinvention with the assumption that each stage will reduce the back pressure-by a factor of one-third while utilizing an amount of air equal to one-third of the amount of tunnel air approaching the particulanejector being considered. The ejector can be either the wall type as shown in Fig. lor the internal type as shown in J. H. Keenan and E. P. Neumanns article entitled A Simple Air Ejector, which appeared in the Journal of Applied Mechanics, March, 1942. As shown Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, a pressure ejector supersonic wind tunnel 8 is supplied by a continuous supply of high-pressure air from a compressor source (not shown) through passageways li), l2, l4, and I6. Each passageway 12, I4, and [6, includes a pressure regulating valve I B for regulating the airflow. The air introduced through the. passageway l2 passes. through an eiiuser section 26"Where it is raised to supersonic condition and then it fiowsto a test section 22 where it is utilized for testing purposes.

From test section '22, 'theair medium flows through a recovery difiuser section 24 to a first stage ejector-diffuser 26, whichincludes amiX- ing chamber ZSiormiXing-the air flow from recovery diffuser section with the air introduced through passageway M. The air introduced through passageway 14 is used'to increase the momentum of the air from section'2 4. From the first stage ejector diiiuser 26, the air then flows to a second stage ejector-diffuser 30, where the procedure is repeated.

Based. on-the above description, certain theoretical equations and calculations will now be presented.

If the diffuser efficiency is known, .the'overall pressure ratio (supply section to-exit of recovery difiuser) can be determined. The following principal symbols will be used in the analysis now to be presented:

p=static pressure, lbs/sq. in.

=density, lbs/cu. ft.

T=absolute temperature Rankin M :Mach number in the test section v=ratio of specific heats-taken as 1.4 for air.

w=weight, lbs. per sec.

A=area, sq. ft. l

R=gas constant=53.3 ft./ R. for air V=velocity, ft. per sec.

g=acceleration due to gravity=32.l6 ft./sec..

iii/we: ratio of weight of air going through the test section to total weight.

a=velocity of sound in ft.- per sec.

subscripts (see Fig. .1);

o=supply section stagnation conditions l=test section 2=exit of recovery difiuser,

The pressure ratio is given by a; a) i Where P1 is a function of Mach number as follows:

. 1 Po; 'Y 7- =W +T 0 2) Now the dimensions of the test section for any given mass flow of air will be found as follows:

and at T0: 150 F.,

Fig. 5 gives the size of test section possible as a function of the Mach number and proportional amount of air'which is pumped through the test section for two conditions of initial temperature. The first condition is air at the temperature resulting from the adiabatic compression from atmospheric to the supply pressure and the second considers thecase wherein the air is :pre-cooled (after compression) to an arbitrary temperature of 150 degrees F. in order to keep the test equipment at more reasonable handling temperatures.

On Fig. 5 is also superimposed curves of assumed ejector performance, i. e., Mach numbers attainable forgiven amounts of bypassed air, and the resultinglimiting dimensions and the ratio of test section to total air supply are cross-plotted as a function of Mach number and are shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. '7 represents test results of a simple ejector similar to the type intended for use in this design, where (1) No. of stages 0 l 2 3 (2) Pressureratio (from atmosplieric) 1 $6 X1 (3) P2 l4.7 -Q 14. 7 4. 1.632 544 (4) M (Fig. 4) 4. 58 6.13 7. 9S 10.l2 (5) Test Section air weight" (parts)- 3 3 V 4 51".: (6) Bypassed. air (each ejector) (parts) =l3 0 l 1 (7) Total air (parts)= 3 4 5% 7% (8) w/w=3/@ 1.000 .750 .563 .422

*Air weight forward of ejector being considered.

Adding this data to Fig. 5 av cross-plot can be made showing maximum dimensions of the tun nel and proportional amount of air going through the tunnel as a function of Mach number, as shown in Fig. 6.

In the event that it is not possible to obtain the successive pressure ratios of three (3) to one (1) (or that more'air is required in the ejectors to obtain it) by this method, the limiting line of Fig. 5 will be lowered and the allowable dimensions reduced.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore 'to be un-. derstood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as pecifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for extending the Mach range of a supersonic wind tunnel facility of a given maximum pressure and mass flow, comprising a source of high pressure air, aneffuser for raising a portionbf said high pressure air to supersonic condition, a section for testing aerodynamic models, a diffuser for decreasing the back pressure downstream ofsaid testsection, by-pass 7 means for said source of high pressure air; and

meansinserie with saidby-pass means for receiving said by-passed air and further reducing the pressure at the exit of. said diffuser, thereby extending the Mach range of said wind tunnel facility.. v H

2. An arrangement for extending the Mach range of a supersonic Wind tunnel facility of a given maximum pressure and mass flow, comprising a source of high pressure air, an eifuser for raising a portion of said high pressure air to supersonic condition, a section for testing aerodynamic models, a diffuser for decreasing the back pressure downstream of said test section, by-pass means for said source of high pressure air, and an ejector-diffuser in series with said by-pass means for receiving said Icy-passed air and further redueing the pressure at the exit of said difiuser, thereby extending the Mach range of said wind tunnel facility.

3. An arrangement for extending the range of a supersonic wind tunnei facility of a given maximum pressure and mass flow comprising a source of high pressure air, an eiiuser for raising a portion of said high pressure air to supersonic condition, a section for testing aerodynamic models, a diffuser for decreasing the back pressure downstream from aid test section, bypass means for said source of high pressure air, and a plurality of ejector diifusers in series with 1 Zach said by-pass means for receiving the Icy-passed air and for further reducing the pressure at the exit of said diffuser, a mixing chamber in each of said ejector-difiusers, thereby extending the Mach range of said wind tunnel facility.

4. In combination, a supersonic wind tunnel including an efiuser, a test section, and a recovery diffuser, a source of high pressure air, said efiuser being utilized to raise a portion of said high pressure air to a supersonic condition, Icy-pass means for said high pressure air, and means in series with said Joy-pass means for receiving said bypassed air and for further reducing the pressure at the exit of said recovery difiuser, thereby extending the Mach number of said wind tunnel.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 4, wherein said next-to-last mentioned means com prises a plurality of ejector-diiiusers 6. arrangement as set forth in claim 5, wherein said ejector-diiiusers are: arranged in series at the exit of said Wind tunnel.

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6, and a mixing chamber in each of said ejectordiffusers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,421,844 Schmidt July 4, 1922 1,449,220 Ehrhart Mar. 20, 1923 1,647,402 Eynon May 1, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 712,706 Germany Oct. 23, 1941 

